Do as directed: Voices Transformation of sentences and Clauses

by

Do as directed: Voices Transformation of sentences and Clauses: “Do as Directed” is a critical section in the MP Board Class 12 English exam testing your ability to manipulate sentence structures and grammatical forms while retaining the original meaning (unless specified otherwise). This section typically carries around 5 marks and covers a wide range of grammar topics.

Here’s a breakdown of common “Do as Directed” tasks along with rules and examples:

How to Solve “Do as Directed” Questions

  1. Read the Instruction Carefully: This is the most important step. Understand exactly what change is required (e.g., “Change the voice,” “Combine using ‘too…to’,” “Change into negative”).
  2. Understand the Original Sentence: Read the given sentence thoroughly to grasp its meaning, tense, and structure.
  3. Recall the Specific Rule: For each type of transformation (voice, negation, clauses etc.), there are specific grammatical rules. Recall these rules.
  4. Apply the Rule: Make the necessary changes to the sentence, focusing on the verb, subject, object, conjunctions etc. as per the rule.
  5. Check for Meaning and Grammar: After transformation, read the new sentence.
    • Does it retain the original meaning (unless instructed to change it, like changing affirmative to negative)?
    • Is it grammatically correct (tense, subject-verb agreement, punctuation)?
    • Does it sound natural?

Common “Do as Directed” Tasks and Their Rules

1. Voice Change (Active to Passive & Vice Versa)

Concept: Voice indicates whether the subject performs the action (Active Voice) or receives the action (Passive Voice). Only transitive verbs (verbs that take an object) can be changed into passive voice.

WhatsApp Channel Join Now
Telegram Channel Join Now

General Rule for Active to Passive:

  1. Identify the Subject (S), Verb (V), and Object (O) in the active sentence.
  2. Make the Object of the active sentence the new Subject of the passive sentence.
  3. Use the appropriate form of the ‘to be’ verb (is, am, are, was, were, has been, have been, had been, will be etc.) according to the tense of the original sentence and the new subject.
  4. Use the Past Participle (V3) form of the main verb.
  5. (Optional) Add “by” followed by the original subject (now the object of the preposition). Omit “by + agent” if the doer is unknown, unimportant, or obvious (e.g., “police,” “people”).

Tense-wise Rules with Examples:

  • Simple Present: S + V1/V5 + O
    • Passive: O + is/am/are + V3 + (by S)
    • Active: She writes a letter.
    • Passive: A letter is written by her.
  • Present Continuous: S + is/am/are + V-ing + O
    • Passive: O + is/am/are + being + V3 + (by S)
    • Active: They are playing football.
    • Passive: Football is being played by them.
  • Present Perfect: S + has/have + V3 + O
    • Passive: O + has/have + been + V3 + (by S)
    • Active: He has finished the work.
    • Passive: The work has been finished by him.
  • Simple Past: S + V2 + O
    • Passive: O + was/were + V3 + (by S)
    • Active: They built a house.
    • Passive: A house was built by them.
  • Past Continuous: S + was/were + V-ing + O
    • Passive: O + was/were + being + V3 + (by S)
    • Active: She was reading a book.
    • Passive: A book was being read by her.
  • Past Perfect: S + had + V3 + O
    • Passive: O + had + been + V3 + (by S)
    • Active: We had completed the project.
    • Passive: The project had been completed by us.
  • Simple Future: S + will/shall + V1 + O
    • Passive: O + will/shall + be + V3 + (by S)
    • Active: He will write an essay.
    • Passive: An essay will be written by him.
  • Modals: S + Modal + V1 + O
    • Passive: O + Modal + be + V3 + (by S)
    • Active: You can solve this problem.
    • Passive: This problem can be solved by you.
  • Imperative Sentences:
    • Command:Let + O + be + V3.
      • Active: Close the door.
      • Passive: Let the door be closed.
    • Request: You are requested to…
      • Active: Please help me.
      • Passive: You are requested to help me.

2. Transformation of Sentences

This involves changing the form of a sentence without changing its meaning.

a) Affirmative to Negative (and vice versa):

  • Rule: Add ‘not’ (or a negative word like ‘never’, ‘no one’) but use an opposite word or phrase to retain meaning.
    • Affirmative: He is always punctual.
    • Negative: He is never late.
    • Affirmative: She loved him.
    • Negative: She did not hate him.
    • Affirmative: As soon as he saw the tiger, he ran away.
    • Negative: No sooner did he see the tiger than he ran away.

b) Assertive to Interrogative (Question) (and vice versa):

  • Rule: Invert the subject and auxiliary verb. Add a question mark. If no auxiliary verb use ‘do/does/did’.
    • Assertive: He is happy.
    • Interrogative: Is he happy?
    • Assertive: She plays cricket.
    • Interrogative: Does she play cricket?
    • Assertive: Nobody was present.
    • Interrogative: Was anybody present? / Who was present?

c) Simple, Compound and Complex Sentences:

  • Simple Sentence: One independent clause (one subject, one finite verb).
  • Compound Sentence: Two or more independent clauses, joined by coordinating conjunctions (FANBOYS: For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So).
  • Complex Sentence: One independent clause and one or more dependent (subordinate) clauses, joined by subordinating conjunctions (e.g., because, although, when, if, while, that, who, which) or relative pronouns.
  • i) Simple to Compound:
    • Rule: Convert a phrase or participle into an independent clause and join with a coordinating conjunction.Simple: Being ill, he could not come.Compound: He was ill, so he could not come.Simple: Besides being intelligent, he is hardworking.Compound: He is not only intelligent but also hardworking.
    ii) Simple to Complex:
    • Rule: Convert a phrase or infinitive into a dependent clause using a subordinating conjunction.Simple: He worked hard to pass the exam.Complex: He worked hard so that he might pass the exam.Simple: On seeing the police, the thief ran away.Complex: As soon as the thief saw the police, he ran away.
    iii) Compound to Complex (and vice versa):

d) Using ‘Too…To’ / ‘So…That’:

  • Rule: ‘Too…to’ implies excessive degree, meaning “so…that…cannot.”
    • Using ‘So…That’: He is so weak that he cannot walk.
    • Using ‘Too…To’: He is too weak to walk.

e) Degree of Comparison (Positive, Comparative, Superlative):

  • Rule: Change the form of the adjective/adverb and the sentence structure.
    • Positive: No other metal is as heavy as lead.
    • Comparative: Lead is heavier than any other metal.
    • Superlative: Lead is the heaviest of all metals.

f) Using ‘No sooner…than’ / ‘Hardly…when’ / ‘Scarcely…when’ (for ‘As soon as’):

  • Rule: Used to show two actions happening almost simultaneously. Remember inversion after ‘No sooner/Hardly/Scarcely’.
    • As soon as: As soon as he saw the lion, he ran away.
    • No sooner: No sooner did he see the lion than he ran away. (Note: ‘did’ is used and ‘saw’ becomes ‘see’)
    • Hardly: Hardly had he seen the lion when he ran away. (Note: ‘had’ is used and ‘saw’ becomes ‘seen’)

3. Clauses

Concept: A clause is a group of words that contains a subject and a verb.

Types:

  • Independent Clause (Main Clause): Can stand alone as a complete sentence and express a complete thought.
    • Example: She sings beautifully. (Subject: She, Verb: sings)
  • Dependent Clause (Subordinate Clause): Cannot stand alone as a complete sentence; it depends on an independent clause for its meaning. It usually begins with a subordinating conjunction or a relative pronoun.

Types of Dependent Clauses:

a) Noun Clause: Functions as a noun in a sentence (can be subject, object, complement). Usually begins with words like that, what, whatever, who, whom, whose, which, whether, why, how, when, where.

  • Rule: Can replace a noun or pronoun.
    • Example (Subject): What he said surprised everyone. (Here, ‘What he said’ acts as the subject of ‘surprised’)
    • Example (Object): I know that he is honest. (Here, ‘that he is honest’ acts as the object of ‘know’)
    • Example (Complement): The problem is that he won’t listen.

b) Adjective Clause (Relative Clause): Functions as an adjective, modifying a noun or pronoun. It usually begins with a relative pronoun (who, whom, whose, which, that) or a relative adverb (where, when, why).

  • Rule: Comes after the noun it modifies.
    • Example: This is the boy who won the race. (modifies ‘boy’)
    • Example: I bought a book which was very interesting. (modifies ‘book’)
    • Example: This is the place where I was born. (modifies ‘place’)

c) Adverb Clause: Functions as an adverb, modifying a verb, adjective, or another adverb. It usually begins with a subordinating conjunction and tells when, where, why, how, to what extent, under what condition.

  • Rule: Provides information about time, place, manner, cause, result, purpose, condition, concession, comparison.
    • Time: When he arrived, I was sleeping.
    • Cause: He succeeded because he worked hard.
    • Condition: If you study, you will pass.
    • Concession: Although it was raining, we went out.
    • Manner: He behaved as if nothing had happened.

Do as Directed Example Questions (with answers for practice):

  1. Change the voice:
    • You must help the poor.
    • Answer: The poor must be helped by you.
  2. Change into negative:
    • He is too proud to beg.
    • Answer: He is so proud that he cannot beg.
  3. Combine using ‘who’:
    • The boy is my brother. He is wearing a red shirt.
    • Answer: The boy who is wearing a red shirt is my brother.
  4. Rewrite using ‘No sooner…than’:
    • As soon as the bell rang, the students rushed out.
    • Answer: No sooner did the bell ring than the students rushed out.
  5. Change into complex sentence:
    • He bought a watch to give to his friend.
    • Answer: He bought a watch so that he could give it to his friend.
  6. Identify the clause and its type:
    • I know that he is honest.
    • Answer: “that he is honest” – Noun Clause (object of the verb ‘know’)
  7. Change into interrogative:
    • She finished her homework.
    • Answer: Did she finish her homework?

Mastering these transformations requires consistent practice and a clear understanding of the underlying grammatical rules.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on “Do as Directed”

Q1: What is the main purpose of “Do as Directed” questions in the exam?

A1: The main purpose is to test your understanding of various grammatical rules and your ability to apply them by restructuring sentences while retaining their original meaning (unless specifically asked to change it like making it negative). It assesses your flexibility and precision with English grammar.

Q2: What is the typical mark allocation for the “Do as Directed” section?

A2: This section usually carries around 5 marks in total, with each individual transformation or identification question accounting for 1 or 0.5 marks.

Q3: Is it acceptable to change the original meaning of the sentence when transforming it?

A3: No, absolutely not, unless the instruction explicitly tells you to (e.g., “Change into negative” which inherently changes the positive meaning). For transformations like voice change, simple to complex or degrees of comparison, retaining the original meaning is paramount. Failure to do so will result in loss of marks.

Q4: Which grammatical concepts are most frequently tested in “Do as Directed”?

A4: The most common concepts include:

  • Voice Change (Active to Passive and vice versa).
  • Sentence Transformation: Changing between Simple, Compound and Complex sentences.
  • Using ‘too…to’ / ‘so…that’.
  • Using ‘No sooner…than’ / ‘Hardly…when’ / ‘Scarcely…when’.
  • Changing between Affirmative and Negative sentences (while maintaining meaning).
  • Changing between Assertive and Interrogative sentences.
  • Identifying or changing types of Clauses (Noun, Adjective, Adverb).

Q5: How can I quickly differentiate between a Simple, Compound and Complex sentence?

A5:

  • Simple: Has only one independent clause (one subject-verb pair forming a complete thought).
  • Compound: Has two or more independent clauses, joined by a coordinating conjunction (FANBOYS: For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So).
  • Complex: Has one independent clause and at least one dependent (subordinate) clause, joined by a subordinating conjunction (e.g., because, although, when, if, that, who, which).

Q6: Can all verbs be changed into passive voice?

A6: No. Only transitive verbs (verbs that take a direct object) can be changed into the passive voice. Intransitive verbs (verbs that do not take a direct object, e.g., ‘sleep,’ ‘run,’ ‘arrive’) cannot be made passive.

Q7: What is the biggest challenge students face in this section, and how can I overcome it?

A7: The biggest challenge is often misunderstanding the instruction or failing to retain the original meaning.

  • To overcome this:
    1. Always read the instruction at least twice.
    2. Always read the original sentence twice to fully grasp its meaning.
    3. After making the change, read your new sentence aloud and compare its meaning with the original. Does it make sense? Is it grammatically sound?

Q8: What’s the best way to prepare for “Do as Directed” questions?

A8:

  • Understand the rules: Memorize the specific rules for each type of transformation.
  • Practice, Practice, Practice: Work through a wide variety of exercises from textbooks, sample papers and previous year’s questions.
  • Focus on common errors: Learn from your mistakes and pay special attention to areas you find challenging (e.g., inversion in ‘No sooner…than’ sentences).
  • Break down sentences: Practice identifying subjects, verbs, objects and different types of clauses.

Leave a Comment